The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-28
FATAL THIRTEEN.
A AsronY.orMn. cAMDEN,s DEFEAT
A superstitious Friond Attributes It to tho
Number OF u Room md Events Trans.
plrins on. tho Thirteonth OF the Month.
nj Powcr oftho Governor to Appoint.
Special Dispafeh 10 he nnftlfioenc,,.

""onANoloN, ~ VI ceD, II,-INo neWe
from Charleston yesterday morning that
the Legislature had adjourned without an
election, though not unexpected, placed a
dampsr on Mr.. Camden's friendsin in Wash.
ington, particularly tho Federal office.
holders who owe their appointments to
him. Weat Virginia Democrats in the
city arc feeling very blue over the situa.
tlon and are freely predicting oil sorts Of
dire reaults OF tho action OF the recalci.
trants. Many are open in their curses OF
Lucas and the balance OF tho kickers,
Some are moro discreet in their utter.
ances, fearful lest they might gay some
thing that would reach the ears OF Gov.
ernor Wilson and tho man he will appoint
to succeed Camden. A runlor to the
eifect that Mr.. Lucas hes liet OF office.
holders Camden appointees) whoee re.
moval he intends to demand has stricken
terror to the hearts OF those who fancy
they are included among the number.
Judging from conversations I have heard
to-day, come fun will grow out Of the mat.
ter. Lucas has nephew hero in the
Treasury Department, assisted to his place
by kenna and Camden, who is much,
elated over the news, and there aro othors
who are now hedging by expressing them.
selvea as being friendly toward Mr.. Lucas,
Tho staunchest friends of MIR. Camden are
swearing eternal allegiance to him, and
Say they will give up their places sooner
than yield in their friendship toward him,
They want him to try it over again in 1883.
Some predict that the Governors an.
pointee will never take his seat; that he
has no power to appoint under tho cir.
cumstances. There are prccedents both
ways, and an interesting contest may vet
grow out Of the matter. FF
Superet:tious people who believe in the
proverblal ill-luck of the number l3 NAV
find in Mr.. Camden'a remarkable expsr.
ience something 10 strengthen their faith.
One gentleman from West Virginia. Win
Is strong friond Of Senator Camden, said
to ma to-day: -"6
II have al~ays boen firm believer in
the old superstition tha. thirteen 10 an uu-
lucky numbsr. You may think this is
a cranky notion, but history furnishes US
with numerous cases where some of our
brightest intel!ects have been more or legs
superssitious in this way. It is. very
common one among leading public psr.
sonases oil the present day. know
some actors who positively refuse to play
on the thirteenth day OF month. Sock
brokers end gamblers have an abiding
faith in the superstition, and 1t is vol
known fact that the late a. T. Stewart
could never ba persuaded to cat at table
at which thirteen people wars aeatad. II,
by cAance, 1t happened that thirteen
guessa were found seated ct his table, ho
would invariably order one Of mis- servants
to take seat and make Tho number four
teen. 4 few months previous to ;ijs
death he overlooked the matter nccident-
ally, ana did not notice there Here but
thirteen as tho table until tho moal wss
nnlshed. He then remarked that one OF
tho number would die before tho end of
!Ae year. Within few weeks Stewart
himself died.
"Now, as to Mr.. Camden's experience:
When he came to Washington last sa,i he
engaged room No. lS at Willard's hotel,
1t is the same room Abraham Lincoln oc-
cnpled when he came to be inaugurated
President in 1861. He was asssssina,ed,
Vico President Hendricks also occup;ed
this room when he cnme to Washington
10 be inausurated in 1885, and died within
q law months. It is the same room in
which an acquaintance of mine engaged
in speculation one day, which resulted in
the loss Of his entire fortune. A singular
fatality hes followed others who hays oc-
cupiad the room, and I advised Camden
10 change his Quarters, giving my reasons
ana telling him my supsss!it:ona regard
Ing the number thirteen. He only laus shed
at me. Well, when Mr.. Camden Lott hore
Tor Charleston he departed on the thir-
teenth day OF January, deapite my warn.
lngs. When the ballots Were taken at
Charleston 1t was found that there
Were thirteen recalcitrau!s against
him (including the independently. Onthe
thirteenth day Of February no returned to
Washington to consult with na!ionel
leaders regarding the contest. Saturday,
the 18th OF the month had been fixed as
the time for Repuhlicsno to vote for him,
but the Wheeling IsrELLlaEScER exposed
tho acheme, and just thirteen daya after.
ward he was declared defeated, the Lssia.
lature having refused 10 elect any one,
This may be considered by some as q mere
string OF singular coincidences, but to
those who adhere to the old superstition
there is confirmation Of their belief. l told
Camden this would bs the result, basing
the prediction on that superstition, but he
only made sport OF me-"